Sleepy Time Gal was originally made famous by Ben Bernie and His Orchestra, going straight to the top of the Billboard Charts in 1926. A favourite sing-along tune, it later became the title song of the 1942 film Sleepy Time Gal, starring Judy Canova and Tom Brown. In 1943, Frances Langford also sang the song in another Hollywood film, Never a Dull Moment.

The published version of the song reveals a discourse about a young woman who stays up all night dancing despite her companion’s wishes. Secretly, he hopes she will change her ways as illustrated in the lyrics: You’ll learn to cook and to sew, What’s more you’ll love it I know, When you’re a stay-at-home, Play-at-home, Eight o’clock sleepy-time gal.

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Sleepy Time Gal - performed by Emm Gryner

"Sleepy Time Gal" was performed by Canadian singer-songwriter Emm Gryner at the 2007 CSHF Induction Ceremony.

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